Welt feeding device



June 15, 1943 A. RMORRILL. 2,321,610

WELT FEEDING DEVICE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jam 6, 1941 fyi 46 o y O 26/Z Z5 S o 5Y 'Mg/WWW# Jane 15, 1943.1 A, R. MORRILL 2,321,610

` WELT FEEDING- DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 6, 1941lll/111111111111114" June 15, 1943. A. R. MoRRlLL WELT FEEDING DEVICE 3Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 6, 1941 Patented June 15, 1943 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE WELT FEEDING DEVICE Alfred R. Morrill, Beverly, Mass.,yassigner to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. J., acorporation f New Jersey Application January d, 1941, Serial No. 373,206

11 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in devices for feedingWelt or similar Strip material to welt attaching and Work feedingdevices of a shce machineadapted-for securing together a welt and theassociated partvor parts of the shoe.

The invention is herein disclosed in a preferred form as part of anintegral unit comprised by a welt tempering device such as thatillustrated in the Ashworth Patent No. 1,981,940, dated November 27,1934, which unit isA applicable to any shoe machine adapted for Weltattaching or Welt sewing.

Further in accordance with the present disclosure, the invention isillustrated as embodied in an inseam Welt sewing machine for sewing aGoodyear welt shoe having substantially the construction and arrangementillustrated in applicants prior Patent No. 2,041,945, dated May 26,1936, of which the stitch forming and Work feeding devices are arrangedfor imparting a continuous feeding movement tc the Work.

In the operation of shoe machine'sof the general type having mechanismsfor'securing together the Welt and the associated part or parts' of ashoe and for feeding the' Work, and more particularly in the operationof Welt shoe sevving machines, it has been found-that the introductionof any appreciable resistance to the advancing of the Welt by the stitchforming and Work feedingdevices ofthe machine, has a tendency tointerfere with the proper feeding of the Work, and also to place anobjectionable strain on the work feeding devices, causing excessive Wearand consequent loss of efficiency of the mas chine. Excessive resistanceof this sort may be caused by the use of Welt processing attachments onthe machine, of which the Welt tempering device herein illustrated, isanexample, such devices having'atendency to increase to an objectionableextent the resistance'encountered to the advance of the Welt by thestitch forming and Work feeding devices.

It is recognized that there are welt feeding devices in theprior arthaving as'their object to assistv in the advancing of the Welt, andthereby to improve the quality' of the work. Welt feeding devices of thetype referred to, ordinarily comprise a vibrating finger which operatesto draw off welt from the supply against an anchorage provided by theshoe operating devices softhat welt will be supplied in the quantitiesneeded. Welt feeding devicesV of this type; however, have thedisadvantage that a heavy strain is-'neverthelessplaced upon theshoeoperating devices by the action o f the finger at so'mepoint in eachsuccessive stitch forming and vvork feeding cycle. vAs applied tomachines in Which the stitch formi-'ng and Work feeding devices arearranged for the continuous feed ofthe Work, Welt feeding devices whichdepend-upon thev action of a vibrating finger havethe specificdisadvantage that the pull'of the Weltfmust be absorbed by parts whicharein continuous motion to feed the work causing considerable `strainsand Wear upon such-parts together with their actuating linkages andcams'.

Itis a principal object of the'invention to provide for use in' a shoemachine' having devices for` securing together the Welt and associatedparts of the shoe; and for feeding the Work, a novel and improved Weltfeeding device which is Well adapted for supplying welt to the securingmechanism at a rate' which is automatically adjustabley in accordanceWithV the rate of feed of the Work, and without imposing objectionablepulling strains orshoc'ks'upoii the securing and Workfeedin'g'devices-of the machine.

It is a' further object of the invention to provide a'- Welt feedingdevice which may be provided as part ofaseparate unitwith aWelt'temperin'g device for use in veltv shoe machines which will operateautomatically to feed Welt to the shoe operatingv mechanism as neededand Without the necessity of introducing elaborate mechanisms forcoordinating the operation of the welt feed-mechanism' with' theoperation of thestitch'forming and Work feeding devices of the machine.Y v

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to providea Weltfeeding mechanism which is `automatically responsive toa'lighttensioning strain imposed u'ponthe Welt bythe shoe operating'devices to feed welt to` the machine as needed; Y

`With th'e'se and other objectsinl view as may hereinafter appear',aprincipal feature of the inventioncon'sists'in' theprovision of aweltifeedingr device including a' positively actuated driving element' whichisarrang'edfor feeding the Weltat arate inexcess-'of the-ratefatwhichthe work* is advanced by theu securing mechanism,

and in combinationtherewith,` means responable tensioning?` strainswhich would otherwise be -caused by the Vpuh-of"-theivelt :upon thesecuring mechanism.

Another feature of the invention consists in the provision of a weltfeeding device which comprises a rotating driving element arranged forfrictional engagement with the welt to feed the same to the securingmechanism in combination with a device responsive to variations of thetensioning strain on the welt to cause the welt to be frictionallyengaged and advanced by the driving element.

The several features of the invention consist also in the devices,combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described andclaimed,which together with the advantages to be obtained thereby will bereadily understood by one skilled in the art from the followingdcscription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in whichFig. 1 is a view in right side elevation of a Goodyear inseam sewingmachine having embodied therein applicants improved welt feeding device;Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view in side elevation of the stitchforming and work feeding devices of the machine; Fig. 3 is an enlargeddetail view in side elevation of applicants welt wetting and weltfeeding mechanism shown generally in Fig. l; Fig. 4 is a view lookingfrom the left, of substantially the parts shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is adetail sectional view illustrating particularly the driving element ofthe welt feeding device and a portion of the exible shaft for drivingthe same; Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view in front elevationillustrating particularly the driving connections for the iiexible shaftof the welt feeding device located in the base of the machine; and Fig.7 is a View in right side elevation taken on the section line 1-1 ofFig. 6.

The Goodyear inseam sewing machine illustrated in the drawings asdisclosing in a preferred form the several features of the invention,comprises a column support l in which is mounted an electric drivingmotor l2 and an operating head I4 in which is housed the sewingmechanism of the machine. The drive is taken from the motor I2 andarmature ,shaft I6 through reduction gears housed in a gear box I8 to acoupling I9 and a vertically arranged drive shaft 20 extending upwardlythrough the column of the machine.

The stitch forming and work feeding devices of the machine include acurved hook needle 22 arranged to enter the work from the channel side,an awl 24, a channel guide 26, a welt guide 28 and a back rest 30. Thesedevices are constructed and arranged for imparting a continuous feedingmovement to the work, the needle and awl for this purpose beingsupported for reciprocatory movement in the line of feed on a slide 32,and the channel guide being similarly mounted for reciprocatory movementupon a slide 34 Reciprocatory movement is imparted to the slide 32 bymeans of a pair of levers, one of which is designated at 35 supported toturn on a pivot 33. One of said levers 36 is provided with a rearwardextension which is cam actuated for imparting reciprocatory :movementsto the slide 32. The slide 34 carrying the channel guide 26 is similarlyarranged for reciprocatory movement in the line of feed, such movementbeing imparted through cam actuated connections including an actuatinglever 40 connected at its forward end to the slide 34 and mounted toturn on a pivot pin 42 on the machine frame. The back and forthmovements of the slide. 34Vcarrying the channel guide 26are timed withrelation to the back and forth movements of the asai 1o slide 32carrying the needle and awl so as to produce a continuous and uniformfeeding movement to the work. Inasmuch as the stitch forming, workfeeding and driving and stopping mechanisms of the machine aresubstantially similar to those fully set forth in applicants priorpatent above referred to, and form specifically no part of the presentinvention, further illustration of the same has been omitted.

In the present machine, the welt is drawn from any convenient source ofsupply as, for example, a coil of welting on the iioor adjacent themachine, and passes through a welt tempering device which may be simiiarto that illustrated in the Ashworth patent above referred to, over apulley 46, and thence through the welt guide 23 to the point ofoperatic-n of the machine.

As best shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawing the welt tempering devicecomprises a receptacle 4B for the tempering medium, adjustably supportedon the machine table 50. The tempering medium, preferably water, issupplied to the receptacle 48 from a reserve tank 52, the constructionand arrangement of the receptacle and tank being such as to maintain thelevel of the tempering medium in the receptacle adjustably at apredetermined depth. Welt drawn from the supply passes over a guideroller 54 carried on a pivot 56, thence through a guide 58 whichdetermines the extent of immersion of the welt in the tempering medium,and thence over a driving roller 69 forming part of applicants improvedwelt feeding device hereinafter more fully to be described.

The guide 58 and roller 54, as in the Ashworth patent above referred to,are mounted on a frame 62 slidably supported for vertical adjustment ona square post E4. The frame 62 with the roller 54 and guide 58 arearranged to be moved downwardly to immerse the welt in the temperingmedium upon starting the machine, and to be raised to a position inwhich the welt is out of the tempering medium upon stopping the machine,through connections which include a vertically arranged link 66connected at its upper end to the frame 62 and at its lower end to aforwardly extending arm 68 secure-d to a rock shaft 10 supporting thestarting treadle 'l2 of the machine.

Applicants improved welt feeding device cornprises specifically thedriving roller Gil which is arranged to be continuously driven at a ratewhich will cause it to feed welt at a rate somewhat faster than it isdrawn through the stitch forming and work feeding devices of themachine. The welt engaging peripheral surface of the driving roller 60is provided with a friction surface in order to obtain a drivingfrictional contact between the roller and the engaged surface of thewelt. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, this frictionalcontact is produced by a knurling or roughening of the peripheralsurface. It is contemplatedwithin the scope of the invention that theroller may be surfaced with some suitable friction producing materialsuch as soft rubber or with toothed elements adapted for securing apositive engaging contact between the roller and Welt. As best shown inFigs. 3, 4 and 5, the roller 60 is supported to turn on a pivot 'l0formed on a bracket 12 which is rigidly supported in an adjustedposition upon the receptacle 48. To this end the bracket 12 is providedwith a downwardly extending post 74 which is fitted intoA a. bore formedin a lug 16 at the lend of the receptacle 48, and,

is held rigidly in position by a clamping screw T8. The mechanism forcontinuously driving the roller l) comprises a flexible drive shaft 80which is secured at one end by means of a set screw 82 to the roller 6b.The flexible shaft 8G together with its cover 84 enters the bracket 'i2through a bore provided for this purpose extending axially of the pivot75l. The cover 84 is clamped in position by means of a set screw 86screwthreaded in the bracket l2. The flexible shaft 80 is connected atits lower end to be driven from the driving shaft of the machine througha small friction motor unit which comprises a housing 88 supported toturn on a horizontal pivot 90 on the machine base. The housing 8.?.supports a vertically arranged drive shaft 92 which at its upper endcarries a w-heelM having a friction tire 95 for engagement with thecoupling I9 for the vertically arranged drive shaft 2l] of the machine.Adjacent its lower end the drive shaft 92 has formed thereon a worm 98which meshes with a worm gear It on a horizontal shaft H32. The exibledrive shaft 86 is fitted into an axial bore in the shaft I2, and issecured thereto by means of a set screw Iill. In order to hold the cover86 against slippage, the flexible shaft 8E? together with its cover 84is arranged to pass through a bore formed in a cap |96 screw-threaded toa portion of the casing 88, the cover 84 being held in position by a setscrew it@ screw-threaded in the Cap. rk-compression spring Il@ seated ina recess II2 in the lower end of the casing 88 for engagement against anabutting portion of the machine frame, serves to support the wheel $4and friction tire @t in continuous driving engagement with the couplingI9 associated with the vertical drive shaft 20 of the machine.

In accordance with the invention, applicant provides mechanism which isresponsive to variations in the tension on the welt extending to thestitch forming and work feeding devices oi the machine, to cause thedriving roller 6B to be engaged with and to advance the welt in amountswhich will be adequate to prevent the building up of objectionabletensioning strains due to the pull of the stitch forming and workfeeding devices upon the Welt. As best shown in Figs. 3 and l of thedrawings, this mechanism comprises a rocker member or frame H2 supportedintermediate its length on a pivot pin II4 carried by, an extension ofthe bracket l2. At its lower end the rocker member Il2 carries apressure roller I I6 for engaing the welt against the driving rollerEl). At its upper end the rocker member H2 carries a roller IIS which isarranged to engage with and to form a bend in the welt extending fromthe driving roller-6*) to the idler `pulley 45. With this constructionand arrangement of the, rocker member II2 and the rollers H6 and IIB, itwill readily be seen that the pull upon the Welt exerted by the stitchforming and work feeding devices will tend to straighten the Weltpassing around the roller I I8 and to rock the member H2 to cause theroller IIS to force the Welt against the continuously rotating drivingroller with increased pressure. As the welt is now drawn from the supplyand through the welt tempering device by the driving rollery 60, thewelt extending from the roller Si) to the stitch forming and Workfeeding devices is again slackened, causing the pressure `of the rollerII6 upon the Welt to be lightened, and thus effectively disconnectingthe feed.

With the construction and arrangement of the CJD welt feeding deviceabove described and herein illustrated, it has been demonstrated that apull of approximately 1A; to 1/2 lb. exerted on the welt by the securingmechanism will effect a frictional driving engagement between the weltand the frictionsurface of the feed roller lill sufficient to exert apull of 5 to 6 lbs. to draw the welt from the supply and through thewelt tempering de- Vice.

It will be understood that the present invention in its broader aspectsis not limited to the specific form ofA the welt feeding deviceillustrated, and that alternative constructions may be employed Withinthe scope of the invention and appended claims, which constructions maywell employ other means for establishing a driving relationship of thewelt feeding device with the welt, and in which positive rather thanfrictional welt engaging means may be employed.

It may be pointed out that applicants rocker arm II2 and associatedparts are constructed and arranged to perform two separate functions.These parts operate first as a detector device which detects and isresponsive to variations in the pull exerted by the sewing mechanism onthe welt, and secondly, as an operating unit capable of initiating anddiscontinuing the actual feeding of the Welt.

Applicants improved welt feeding device has the particular advantagethat it is readily applicable to any welt shoe machine having securingmechanism for securing together associated parts of a shoe including thewelt, and for feeding the work irrespective of the form or manner ofoperation of such mechanism, and without any necessity for accuratelytiming or otherwise connecting the Welt feeding device with theoperating mechanisms of the machine to which it is applied. Applicantswelt feeding device is therefore particularly adapted for application asan attachment forming part of a separate welt processing unit as, forexample, the illustrated welt tempering device.

The invention having claimed is:

1. A welt feeding device for use in a shoe machine having mechanism forsecuring together parts of a shoe including a welt, and for feeding thework, which comprises a Welt feeding element, and means for actuatingsaid element at a rate for feeding the welt which is in excess of therate at which the work is advanced by the feeding mechanism, and meansresponsive to a light pull exerted on the Welt by the feeding mechanismto cause the welt feeding element to feed the welt, and by a slackeningof that pull to discontinue the feeding of the welt.

2. A welt feeding device for use in a shoe machine having mechanism forsecuring together parts of a shoe including a welt, and for feeding thework, which comprises a welt feeding element, and means for actuatingsaid element at a rate for advancing the Welt which is in excess of therate at which the Work is advanced by the feeding mechanism, and meansfor rendering said element operative and inoperative to feed beendescribed, what is n the welt including a detector device responsive toa light pull exerted on the welt by the feeding mechanism for renderingsaid feed element operative to feed the welt, and responsive to aslackening of said pull for rendering said feed element inoperative tofeed the Welt.

3. A Welt feeding device for use in a shoe machine having mechanism forsecuring together parts of a shoe including a welt, and for feeding theWork, which comprises a welt feeding element, driving means foractuating said element to feed the welt at a rate in excess of the rateat which the work is advanced by the feeding mechanism, and meansresponsive to a light pull on the welt exerted by said feeding mechanismfor establishing a driving engagement between the welt feeding elementand the welt, and by a slackening of said pull to discontinue saiddriving engagement.

4. A welt feeding device for use in a shoe machine having mechanism forsecuring together parts of a shoe including a welt, and for feeding thework, which comprises arotating welt feeding element having a Weltengaging friction surface, means for driving said welt feeding elementto feed the welt at a rate in excess of the rate at which the work isadvanced by the feeding mechanism, and means responsive to a light pullexerted on the welt by the feeding mechanism to establish a frictionaldriving relation between the welt feeding element and the welt.

5. A welt feeding device for use in a shoe machine having mechanism forsecuring together parts of a shoe including a welt, and for feeding thework, which comprises a rotating welt feeding element arranged whenrendered operative to act on the welt to feed the same to the securingmechanism, means for continuouslydriving said element, a rocker element,means responsive to a tensioning strain on the welt extending betweenthe feeding element and securing mechanism to rock the rocker element,and means rendered operative by the rocking of the rocker element toestablish a driving relation between the welt feeding element and thewelt.

6. In a welt shoe sewing machine having sewing mechanism includingstitch forming and work feeding devices, a welt feeding device whichcomprises a continuously rotating welt feeding element having a weltengaging friction surface, and means responsive to a pull on the welt bythe sewing mechanism to establish a frictional driving relation betweensaid Welt feeding element and the welt to feed the same to the sewingmechanism in the amounts needed.

7. In a welt shoe sewing machine having sewing mechanism includingstitch forming and work feeding devices, a welt feeding device forfeeding the welt to the sewing mechanism which comprises a rotating Weltfeeding element having a welt engaging friction surface, means fordriving the element to feed the welt at a rate in excess of the rate atwhich the work is advanced by the sewing mechanism, and means includinga welt engaging member responsive to a pull exerted on the welt by thesewing mechanism to urge the welt into frictional driving relation withsaid welt feeding element.

8. In a welt shoe sewing machine having sewarranged to engage with andform a bend in the welt between the welt feeding element and the sewingmechanism, and a welt pressure element on the rocker arm renderedoperative by a tensioning of the welt between the sewing mechanism andthe welt feeding element to urge the welt into frictional drivingrelation with the welt feeding element.

9. In a shoe machine having mechanism for securing together parts of ashoe including a welt and for feeding the work, and an associated devicefor effecting a preliminary processing; operation upon the Welt, thecombination of a welt feeding device comprising a Welt feeding elementarranged when rendered operative to act on the Welt between the securingmechanism and Said associated device, driving means for said weltfeeding element, and means responsive to a light pull exerted on thewelt by the feeding mechanism for rendering said feeding elementoperative to feed the Welt.

10. In a shoe sewing machine having sewing mechanism including stitchforming and work feeding devices, a welt feeding device for feeding thewelt to the sewing mechanism which comprises a continuously rotatingfeeding element having a welt engaging friction surface, a welttempering device through which the welt is drawn by the welt feedingdevice, and means responsive to a pull on the welt by the sewingmechanism to urge the welt into frictional driving relation with saidfeeding element.

11. In an inseam shoe sewing machine having stitch forming devicesincluding a needle and work feeding devices arranged for feeding thework including a channel guide, a welt feeding device for feeding thewelt to said devices cornprising a rotating feeding element having awelt engaging friction surface, means for driving the element to feedthe welt at a rate in excess of the rate at which the work is advancedby said devices, and means including. a welt engaging member responsiveto a pull exerted on the welt by said work feeding devices to urge thewelt into frictional driving relation with said feeding element,and by aSlackening of said pull to release the welt from said driving relationwith the feeding element.

ALFRED R. MORRILL.

